Eternal Darkness
by NycteaScandiaca
Summary: Aragorn gets separated from the twins and gets injured. He meets up with Legolas, who reluctantly guides the human to a nearby village. CHAPTER 3 UP!
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: "_My own, my love, my own, my precious"_.Wakes up suddenly. Phew, I thought for a minute there that I owned it all. Which is completely untrue of course. I wish I did, but I don't have any relatives named Tolkien, therefore I don't own anything. Except for a few plotlines and the great idea that popped into my head during class in my first year. So remember this: I OWN NOTHING! Which unfortunately also means I don't have any money (really I don't!), and I don't make any off this either, so don't sue.**

_Well, as some of you know, I said I wouldn't post this until it was finished, or at least a long way ahead. The fact of the matter is, I only finished three chapters yet... But I was really anxious to find out what all you great LotR-fans / fanfic writers thought about my story. Soooo, I couldn't resist and had to put up the first chapters. I'll apologise beforehand, because I'm a slow writer. You'll probably get the first four, maybe five chapters within a week of each other, after that, I can give no guarantees. I have an extremely annoying muse that only gives fresh ideas, never ideas to finish 'old' stories. Maybe I should hire a plot bunny instead..._

_I guess this is AU, because I let Gilraen die along with Arathorn. I'm no Middle-Earth expert, nor fluent in Elvish, so bear with me and feel free to correct me if you discover mistakes. Just bring it nicely and no flames._

_Well, here it is... and please please please let me know how you like this so far!_

**

* * *

**

**Eternal Darkness **

It had been a nice week for a hunting trip. Deer were running along in abundance, these last few days before the snowfall would start. Before long, the hunting party had caught all they needed to survive the coming winter in comfort. A part of the group had left in the morning with most of their catch. Three had remained a few days longer to enjoy the peace and quiet of nature. They set up camp for the night. Tomorrow they would head home to Imladris.

Now that there was no longer need for silence, the woods were filled with Elvish laughter. And a rather hurt Man. There was nothing wrong physically with Aragorn, mind you, but his pride sure had a nice dent.

"I would not have missed if that stone that oh so mysteriously fell from the sky had not landed on my wrist," said the young man, called Estel by the Elves. He shot a dark glare at his adopted brother, Elladan.

Elrohir, Elladan's slightly younger twin brother, failed to hold back a snicker.

"And I would not have missed a second later, had there not been a certain Elf yelling 'The sky is falling' precisely the same moment I released the arrow," Estel continued, this time glaring at his other foster brother.

"My dear brother, if you want to become a skilled archer, you have to be able to tune out unimportant things, and focus only on your enemies," explained Elrohir.

"I always tune you two out, but that does not do me any good if you shout directly into my ear."

"Stop it, you two," Elladan interrupted. "It's obvious that a Man's eyesight is so bad compared to an Elf's, that they can't properly aim at an Oliphaunt from three feet away."

"Laugh all you want. I will show you that I'm as good an archer as both of you." The young man, used to the endless teasing, turned and headed into the forest to gather some wood.

"Wait for us, Estel. You humans are nearly blind in the dark." Elladan motioned to his twin to follow.

"Stop worrying, Elladan," said Aragorn whose eyesight is in fact far better than that of other Men. "The moon is out, I can see well enough."

The moment he said that, the forest turned dark and the moon disappeared behind ominous storm clouds.

Before they could wonder at the sudden appearance of the clouds, lightning struck between Aragorn and the twins.

The two elves were knocked into a nearby tree and lost consciousness almost immediately.

Aragorn was launched in the opposite direction. As he flew backwards, his head connected solidly to a low-hanging branch before the man dropped to the ground.

For a few minutes, Aragorn lay there with his eyes closed, trying to get some air into his lungs and rid himself of the dwarves hacking their way through his brains. The first mission was successful; the second, an utter failure.

When at last he opened his eyes, he found out that it was still dark. He could see nothing at all. He was worried about his brothers, for he couldn't see nor hear them. He crawled in the direction he thought his brothers were in, but couldn't find them.

"Elladan! Elrohir! Where are you?" called Aragorn. No response. "El'? Please, answer me."

Finally he realised he couldn't even see their dim glow. _It must be my eyes. I'm probably still blinded by the lightning._ He did not want to consider the other option, that the twins were dead or dying.

He knew that a village was only a few hours from where they had set up camp, so he decided to head there and get help.

* * *

For hours, Aragorn stumbled and occasionally crawled through the woods. The moon had come out again and Estel could see vague shadows now, but it was still extremely fuzzy. 

At last he came to a well-worn path. Even with his vision, he could discern where he was by observing some distinct landmarks.

To his horror, he found out that he had been heading in the wrong direction, away from the village and further from his home than before.

As he started down the path, he prayed to the Valar that his brothers were safe and heading for Rivendell this very moment. After a few steps, however, his headache became intolerable and with a small cry, Aragorn fell to the ground. The world started turning around him and before long, he descended into the darkness of unconsciousness.

* * *

Legolas was glad to be heading for Rivendell. The Mirkwood Prince was looking forward to seeing the twin sons of Lord Elrond again. The true reason for his visit was not a joyful matter, though. The Mirkwood elves were worried about a new evil about and he was sent by his father to seek counsel in Imladris. 

Along with Fëasúl and Adrûth, he made his way through the woods. When they rounded a bend, they saw a bundle of clothes on the ground.

"Look here," said Adrûth. "It's a man. He's probably drunk and passed out on the path. Stupid humans."

"I don't know," said Fëasúl. "He doesn't smell like he's had a drink."

"Well, however he got to be here, I do not care about a filthy human. Let us continue. We have more pressing matters to attend to." Legolas took one look at the man on the ground and moved on. His companions followed, although Fëasúl did so hesitantly.

* * *

Pain. That was the first thing that came to mind when Aragorn regained consciousness. He tried to open his eyes and found that it was still dark. Pitch-black, actually. He could hear voices, though. Where there are people, there should be some light around. He moved his head to look around, but was stopped by an intense pain in the back of his head. He couldn't stop a slight moan from escaping his lips.

* * *

When he heard the moan, Fëasúl called for his friends and turned back to the human. 

"Leave him alone, Fëasúl. Don't waste your time on a drunk. He's not worth it," said Legolas.

"He's not drunk, he's hurt. He needs help," said Fëasúl as he knelt next to the human.

* * *

The pain blocked out all his senses. He didn't notice the other beings until he felt a hand on his shoulder. He started at the touch and was again hit by the headache. 

"Relax, we are here to help you," a voice said. "What happened?"

"Lightning... head hurts," Aragorn managed to get out.

"How many fingers am I holding up?"

Aragorn opened his eyes but saw nothing. "Can't see, too dark."

"What are you talking about," said a new voice, "it is an hour past dawn."

To prove his point, the clouds overhead broke up and Aragorn felt the warmth of the sun on his face.

Finally realisation dawned upon him. He was blind. With a little help, he managed to sit up. For minutes he just sat there, staring at his hands, but not seeing them. When the headache subsided a bit, the panic set in.

"What use am I if I'm blind? I can't go anywhere, can't help anyone. I cannot even help myself in this state!" In frustration he smashed his fists to the ground.

"Come," said the first voice. "Let us take you to the nearest village; we will see what happens after you've rested a bit."

"Fëasúl," said the second voice, "we have our own matters to attend to. We don't have time for this."

"Then you and Adrûth go ahead, I won't leave him here." The one now identified as Fëasúl helped Aragorn to his feet.

As he stood there swaying on his feet, he felt he should be remembering something. "My brothers! They were with me when the lightning struck. I have to find them!"

"How do you expect to find them if you cannot even see?" said the still nameless voice.

"I'll find a way. They could be hurt! I have to help them!"

"Legolas..." said Fëasúl.

"All right," sighed Legolas. "Fëasúl, you're the best tracker. See if you can backtrack his path and find his brothers. Adrûth, go on ahead and deliver the message. I'll take this one to the village."

"Thank you," said Aragorn.

"What's your name?" asked Legolas.

"I am called Strider."

"Well, Strider, Fëasúl will find your brothers, he's a good tracker. Come, hold on to my quiver and follow me."

Aragorn felt someone gripping his wrist and place it on a leather strap of a quiver. He wanted nothing more than go back home, but he knew it would take days to reach Rivendell, especially in his current state. The best thing he could do now was follow this Legolas to Oramon, the nearest village.

* * *

After nearly an hour of stumbling, Aragorn felt the stranger in front of him come to a sudden stand-still as he bumped into his back. 

When Legolas didn't move or make a sound, the man started to sense something was wrong. Only he just didn't know what.

"What is it? Why have you stopped?" whispered Aragorn to his companion.

"Be quiet! Do not make a sound and maybe you will hear them," whispered Legolas irritated.

It didn't take long before Aragorn's sharp hearing took in the sounds ahead of him; the sounds of battle. Only it did not sound like a fair battle. He heard women and children screaming, men shouting for their families to run away and hide. And the growls of orcs.

"Orcs are attacking the village! We must help them!"

"You stay here; you are of no use to them in your current state. No!" interrupted Legolas before Aragorn could voice his complaint. "The orcs will see you are unable to defend yourself and gang up on you. You won't stand a chance. Stay!"

Reluctantly, Aragorn nodded and let go of Legolas' quiver. He followed Legolas to the edge of the clearing where the village stood.

While Aragorn stayed hidden behind a tree, he heard Legolas fire an arrow into the frenzy and run towards the village. From the volume of the noise, the man gathered there were about a dozen orcs in the village. He hoped his companion was good enough to fight them off.

Within minutes the sounds lessened as the orcs were killed off one by one. From the right, however, he heard more sounds as half a dozen more orcs crept toward the village.

"Legolas!" shouted Aragorn, but his warning was drowned out by the roars of the orcs as they started their rush toward Legolas.

For a few anxious moments Aragorn waited, but when he heard an orc shout in victory, he hesitated no longer, but scrambled onto the clearing, unsheathing his sword and shouting to get the orcs' attention.

It worked. He heard some of the orcs head toward him. He only hoped he had given Legolas the opportunity to get free again. If not, they were both in big trouble.

He concentrated on his attackers, using his other senses to compensate for his disadvantage.

Hearing one of the beasts advancing in full speed, he easily sidestepped and felt resistance as his sword cut off the head of his attacker.

A grunt to his left warned him that another scimitar was heading in his direction. Unable to see whether the orc tried to behead him or cleave him in two, the man ducked and rolled to the side and plunged his sword into the body. The feeling of the sword glancing off a rib and the gurgling sound coming from the creature told him he had struck true and that it was dying.

With the exercise, his headache returned, and before long he heard nothing apart from the blood rushing by his ears.

* * *

The battle had started out well enough for Legolas. Of the thirteen orcs, six were already dead, struck by the elf's arrows. As he closed in, he slung his bow on his back and reached for his knives. He twisted around the first orc, slashing at it with his left hand, while his right cut the throat of a second. 

Ducking away from the orc scimitar he spotted from the corner of his eye, he brought one of his blades up into the abdomen of another. Turning on his knees, he plunged his second blade into the chest of the orc holding the scimitar he had just avoided.

The three remaining orcs held their distance for a few moments. Eyeing them warily, Legolas slowly advanced upon them. Suddenly, roaring from behind distracted the elf. The elf was sure he heard someone shouting his name, but as he turned to see how many new arrivals there were, he felt a blow to the back of his head.

Slightly stunned, he turned around and felled the orc that hit him. Warding of another blow, he struck his blade into the neck of one of the remaining orcs. All of a sudden he felt a weight at his back as he was pushed face-down into the dirt, his arms pinned by the orc on his back.

A shout of victory sounded across the clearing. Moments later, Legolas heard a man shouting. It was Strider. _What is that foolish human doing? He can't fight off those orcs!_

Behind him, he felt the orc holding him down loosing his grip slightly. The elf immediately grabbed this opportunity to twist around and slam his knife into its head. Rolling free, he struck down two orcs at once and charged towards the remaining orc, neatly chopping off the foul creature's head.

Legolas turned just in time to see Strider fall down on his knees, clutching his head between his hands. Two orcs lay dead next to him, but a third was raising its scimitar above the man's head. "Strider! Look out!" shouted the elf as he threw one of his knives at the orc.

* * *

Through the pounding in his head and the noise of rushing blood, Aragorn sensed something was wrong. He raised his head and instinct took over as his arm raised his sword of its own accord. He was surprised when he felt something meet his sword, but didn't have time to ponder over it as he felt the weight of the orc fall down on him. 

Panic started to set in as he was pushed down. It took him a moment to realise that the orc on top of him didn't move anymore. He pushed the body off himself and lay there with his eyes closed, collecting his breath and willing his head to return to its normal state of functioning.

He started when he felt a hand on his arm.

"Easy Strider, it is I, Legolas. I feared you had passed on. Are you alright?"

"I am fine, apart from the dwarves in my head who seem to have degraded to cave trolls."

"That was a foolish thing you did just then. But you probably did save my life and that of the villagers."

"And you mine when you felled this orc. It was you, was it not?"

"Aye, it was my knife that took down the orc. But I feared I was too late when I saw the scimitar go down. How did you know?"

Aragorn thought back to the end of the battle. How _had_ he known? "I don't know. I think it was a reflex, but to what I know not. My headache had become so bad I couldn't hear anything."

"Come, let's get you to an inn and have someone look at that head of yours."

"No, first we have to see to the villagers."

"How? I am no healer, I doubt you're a healer and if you were, how can you help anyone without being able to see?"

"I am a healer, and I was taught by the best. You can be my eyes, and with my other senses we can do a lot for these people."

"Alright," conceded Legolas. "But don't push your limits."

* * *

After two and a half hours the two, with the help of Raegon, the only healer of the village, had finally managed to tend to all survivors. 

Legolas guided the blind man to a nearby bed - one of the few that were still unoccupied - and ordered him to lie down.

Exhausted by the events of the last three hours, Aragorn collapsed onto the bed and held his head as if he expected it to roll off with the next small gust of wind.

"You look terrible, you know that?" Legolas told him.

"Were I able to see you, I would most likely be saying the same to you," retorted Aragorn.

"Trust me, my boy," said Caera, ignoring the mock scowl Aragorn shot in roughly her direction, for calling him 'a boy'. The innkeeper's wife approached the bed with two bowls of steaming hot soup. "You look like you've been overrun by a horde of hill trolls."

"Funny," said Aragorn, "that's exactly how I feel."

"Then perhaps some soup will do you good. Do you need help?"

Shooting another glare, this time in the general direction of a snickering Legolas, the man shook his head. "Thank you, but no. Once I have succeeded in locating my spoon, I should be able to feed myself."

"Worry not, I will make sure he doesn't spill his soup all over your inn," said Legolas.

As the woman left for the kitchens, Aragorn hovered his hand above the hot soup, lowering it in small circles, attempting to find his spoon this way.

"You shall not find it in your soup, for it is next to your plate," whispered Legolas softly, guiding the blind man's hand to the spoon.

Before Aragorn could express his thanks for, or annoyance at, Legolas' help, the exceptionally cheerful voice of Raegon broke in.

"There you are! Did I not tell you I wanted to look you over? Ah, you're eating dear Caera's famous soup. Wonderful, it will do you good. Now, after you finish your soup - and be sure to finish it all - you come and see me. I wish to have a look at those eyes and that head of yours. Have I already thanked you for your help? Well, I'm sure I have, but I thank you again. I would be working until dawn if it hadn't been for the two of you. I cannot imagine having to take care of all those villagers all by myself. Well, I have to be off. Don't forget to come by!" And with a wave of his hand he left the inn.

"Eh," said Legolas, who had moved aside a bit to avoid Raegon's flailing arms, "hello, good to see you again, farewell. Well, you heard the man, Strider, finish your soup so we can pay him a visit."

"You cannot be serious. If I didn't already have a headache, I would get one by spending more than five seconds with hìm."

* * *

**Chapter one completed! Let me know what you think :)**


	2. Chapter 2

Legolas pulled the struggling man into Raegon's home and pushed him down on a nearby cot.

"Ah! You've come. How good of you," said Raegon.

The elf heard Strider mumble something about being forced to come and not having a say in it, while Raegon kept rambling on about the day's events.

As the hyperactive healer busied himself with Strider, Legolas couldn't help feeling sorry for the young man. The constant chatter probably helped none in relieving his headache.

He was rather surprised that he had taken a liking to him. He had, after all, been taught that men could not be trusted. His father, King Thranduil, had told him many stories about the failures of men when he was just an elfling and had made sure the young prince trusted no other race than that of the Firstborn. His encounters with the few men he had met before, only strengthened this belief.

But this man was different. Strider seemed to be exactly the opposite of his image of men. Strider was loyal, honest and brave, as his actions earlier that day had shown.

The thing that still worried him was how the man would react if he found out his companion was an elf. Legolas was glad that the villagers were so glad to have help that they paid hardly any attention to the fact that he wasn't a man, except for a few glances, which Strider couldn't see of course.

Tomorrow, he decided, he would subtly mention that he was an elf. If Strider showed no ill-favoured reactions, he would continue to help him, and if he proved to be just like the men he had met earlier in his life, he would leave him here and let the villagers take care of him.

Legolas was so deep into his own thoughts, that he didn't notice Raegon was talking to him, instead of the constant stream of words, which the elf had tuned out.

"...that jar, please, Legolas?" said the healer.

"I'm sorry, what did you say?" asked Legolas.

"I asked if you could give me some water in that jar over there." As the elf moved to get the jar, Raegon leaned over to Strider and whispered with slight contempt: "Those elves, always so wrapped up in their own world..."

Legolas turned to see the blind man stiffen and throw something between a frown and a glare at the healer. _Probably because he's angry for not having been told that he has been travelling with an elf,_ Legolas thought sadly. _So much for breaking it to him subtly myself._

* * *

Aragorn was angry, but with himself for not noticing Legolas was an elf. There were many aspects that discern elves from men, and not only visible things. His companion's musical voice for instance, or the fact that he hardly made a sound when walking, whether in the village or earlier in the forest. Then there were the battle skills. No man could fire arrows as fast as Legolas had or overcome a dozen orcs as easily as Legolas did. 

He would have hit himself on the head, if his headache had allowed it.

The glare part of the look he gave Raegon was directed at the healer himself. Apparently he had no real love for elves, but didn't want the race in question to find out. Of course he hadn't taken into account that an elf's hearing far exceeds that of men.

Deciding that he had to talk to Legolas, he kindly thanked the healer and told him he'd better rest and bed down for the night.

Once outside, Aragorn asked Legolas if there was someplace they could talk privately. The elf led him to the edge of the forest and sat down.

"Look, Strider, the villagers here are kind enough. They will help you through your ordeal. I will be on my way again."

"No, please Legolas, I need your help. You must have been heading for Rivendell, were you not? That is where you and your friends had to deliver your message to? Well, these villagers cannot help me. The only place where I can go for help is Rivendell. Lord Elrond might be the only one who can heal me."

Legolas hesitated a moment, still not sure whether to fully trust the human. "Alright," he said at last. "Tomorrow morning I will take you to Rivendell."

* * *

The following morning, Legolas was up at dawn. Deciding Strider needed his rest badly, he let him sleep and went out for an early-morning stroll. 

He walked through the forest, pondering about the human. It had to count for something that the man wanted to go to elves himself, but the angry glare was not forgotten by Legolas. Maybe Strider didn't want anything to do with elves unless his own health was at stake, a selfish trait he had seen in most humans he had met before.

How far could he take his trust for this man? He would take him to Imladris, of course. Lord Elrond is probably Strider's only chance of ever seeing again. But he had vowed he would never befriend a human, they would only betray his trust. Yet he couldn't help but like this one.

Legolas was still trying to decide how to handle Strider when he found himself back at the village. A familiar voice startled him out of his thoughts.

"Legolas! What are you doing here?"

Legolas twisted around to see two dark-haired figures sprinting towards him. He smiled as he recognised the twin sons of Elrond.

"Elladan, Elrohir! It is good to see you! I was heading for Rivendell, but had to take a detour. What brings you here?"

"We're looking for Estel. Have you, by any chance, seen him?" asked the oldest twin.

"Who's Estel? Do not tell me you have a young elfling on the run," laughed Legolas.

"Of course, you wouldn't know, it has been more than twenty-five years since we've last seen you. You see, Estel's -- "

Elladan's explanation was cut short by one of the inn's maids, who was shouting for Legolas.

"Master Elf, Master Elf! Mr Strider won't wake up!"

The two brothers spent one second to glance at each other before running after the maid.

Legolas spent two more seconds realising the implication before running after the twins.

When the elf arrived at Strider's room, he saw Elladan kneeling beside the human, checking him out, while Elrohir grabbed the limp hand and tried to wake him up.

"Estel, wake up. Please, _ada_ will kill us if we have to carry you home again. Estel, _lasto beth nîn, echuivo gwador nîn, echuivo_." Estel, listen to my voice, wake up my brother, wake up

"There's no reaction, Elrohir," said his brother. "We must take him to _ada_ right away."

Legolas, upon hearing the urgency in his two friends' voices, wasted no time and ran out of the inn to ask for horses. He didn't know why the twins reacted this way to the human, but those answers would come on the way to Imladris. He soon found a man bringing two horses to a stable.

"Sir, please, I need those horses. I will buy them if need be. Strider is very ill and needs to be brought to Rivendell."

"Strider is ill? Well, the two of you did save our hides yesterday. I can't very well afford to lose my horses, because they're a good lot. But if you promise me you'll bring 'em back, I'll let you borrow them."

"Thank you. You have my word that your horses will be brought back to you in good shape," said Legolas as he ran back to the inn to get the twins and the human.

When he entered the room, the two brothers were still trying to get Strider to wake up. And finally they were succeeding. A moan came from the bed as Strider slowly returned to the waking world, screwing his eyes shut against the pain.

"Estel, can you hear me?" asked Elladan, his worry etched on his face.

"Elladan? Is that you?" said Strider weakly.

"Aye, little one, it is I. Elrohir is here also. We are going to take you back home." Elladan looked up at Legolas, who nodded, indicating he had found transportation.

"Try to stay awake as long as you can, I fear you've taken a blow worse than your hard head can handle," said Elrohir.

* * *

Before long, the four of them were on their way to Rivendell. Legolas and Elrohir shared a horse, while Elladan was on the other, holding Aragorn tightly in front of him. The man managed to stay awake for the most part. He listened while Legolas told the twins what happened and he could hear two quiet gasps as the elf told them about Aragorn's blindness. They hadn't noticed it, because Aragorn kept his eyes shut because of the pain most of the time. After Legolas' story, the twins explained what Estel meant to them. 

"Nineteen years ago, we were travelling with the Rangers, who were tracking a large band of orcs," began Elladan. "We were ambushed and many were killed, including Estel's parents. His father was the Chieftain of the Dúnedain, so there was danger for Estel, as the one who would eventually take his father's place. We had no choice but to bring him to Rivendell, where he would be safe until it was time for him to join the Rangers. Father took him in as his own, adopting him and naming him 'Hope'. So Estel's our brother, and we all love him as one."

Elladan squeezed his adopted brother's hand to emphasize his point, receiving a weak gesture in return. Legolas sat in silence, locked in his own thoughts, trying to fit in this new information in with his ideas about the young man.

Elrohir guided his horse through the forest, hoping his younger brother would make it to Rivendell. Both he and Elladan knew that Estel showed sure signs of a heavy concussion and probably even something worse.

Aragorn already knew it was something worse. He was having a lot of trouble staying awake. His mind kept trying to shut down and he couldn't think clearly. Through the pounding of his head, he suddenly remembered that his brothers were also hurt by the lightning strike.

"Elladan? Are you and Elrohir alright?" he asked.

It took the brothers a moment to understand what he meant. "We are fine," said Elrohir. "We both were blown backwards into a tree and were knocked out. When we came to, we couldn't find you anywhere. We tried to see which direction you had gone, but soon we lost your tracks. We thought you had gone home to get help, so we decided to catch up with you. When we still didn't find you or your tracks, we headed for the village, to see if anyone's seen you. Little did we know we would find you in the company of Legolas. But we're glad he was there."

"So am I," said Aragorn, sounding even weaker than before.

* * *

Elladan felt that his little brother was losing his connection with the waking world. "Estel, stay with me, do not let the darkness overcome you," he said, clutching the man tighter. 

He just barely heard the whispered answer. "The past days were in darkness. At long last, I see light." The body went limp in Elladan's arms.

"NO!" shouted Elladan, causing the two in front to turn their heads and fall back next to the other horse. Elladan was afraid they were too late. But he was terrified when the body in front of him started shaking and convulsing.

"Elrohir, ride ahead and warn _ada_. I will follow at close distance. Go!"

Without hesitation, Legolas jumped off the horse. "You will be swifter without me," he called after the two racing horses. "May the Valar watch over your brother!"

Elladan held Aragorn close to his chest as he rode at full speed behind his twin, whose horse was slowly increasing the distance between them, since it had only one body to carry. They had already been travelling with haste; they would arrive in Rivendell in less than two hours.

Whenever Aragorn started convulsing again, Elladan let go of the reins to hold onto the man with both arms, trusting the horse to keep going, steering with his knees.

* * *

Foam stood in the horse's mouth when Elladan arrived with Aragorn in his arms. The mare had needed little encouragement to ride hard, as if feeling the tension, knowing time was running out. After handing Aragorn over to the waiting elves, Elladan jumped off the horse and thanked her in Elvish, before hurrying after the others. 

Elrond was waiting for the group in Aragorn's room, Elrohir by his side. The younger twin had already told his father what had happened, so they had prepared everything they would need.

When Aragorn was placed in his bed, Elrond examined him. "I fear he has a bleeding in his skull, probably where he hit his head. It is taking up space in his skull, causing his brains to be compressed. I need to drain the blood and wait for Estel to awaken before I can address the blindness."

The other elves left the room in silence, leaving Elrond and his sons to tend to the young man.

Elladan walked over to the bed and put his hand on his brother's forehead. It felt clammy. "Will he be alright?" he asked his father.

Elrond sighed. "He may already be too far gone. If he does wake, he might never be the same. We will do what we can and the rest is up to Estel."

Elladan looked at his twin. Both already knew what could happen, but neither had wanted to say out loud what their father had said.

"Elrohir, please send a messenger to Arwen. Your sister may well be the only one who can get through to Estel in this state. And fetch an extra chair for our Mirkwood friend."

The twins turned to find Legolas standing hesitantly in the doorway.

* * *

Legolas had been running since he separated with the twins. Halfway he met an elf who had been sent to fetch him. Borrowing his horse he arrived in Imladris not much later than Elladan and Strider. 

He was shown the way to the man's room but hesitated to enter. The door was open, but he felt an intruder to the worrying family. He was surprised when Lord Elrond invited him to join them.

As the healer explained the situation to Legolas, the blonde elf sat down in a chair brought by Elrohir. "I need to drill a small hole in Estel's head to let the blood out", said Elrond as he picked up something that had a frightening resemblance to an ordinary hand-drill. "When the pressure subsides, he might wake up right away, or it may take longer."

Legolas could sense in the tension that they hoped for the former, yet expected the latter.

Legolas watched as Elrond worked on his youngest, carefully drilling the hole. The dark-haired elf gave a sigh of relief when blood started seeping through, fast at first, but slowing to a drip until the flow stopped altogether. Legolas looked up to Elrond, who nodded and gave a small, encouraging smile. He would come out of it eventually. In what state, none knew.

* * *

**Well, that's it for chapter two.** **Remember to drop a review before you leave!**

_Thanks to the reviewers! Within 24 hours after posting my total reviews doubled! (okay, admittedly, I didn't have many reviews before this, but that increases the pleasure in receiving so many for this one :D)_

_I'm studying for my neurology/ophtalmology exam, (meaning more ideas for this story :P),so I have time forjust a few notes:_

_Of course I'm not telling whether Aragorn will stay blind or not, it would ruin the tension ;)_

_Aragorn is my favourite character, so there'll be a lot of things happening to him. I just have to keep reminding myself to give the elves some hurts here and there too, or it'll be abit onesided and 'boring' for Legolas/Elrohir/Elladan-fans. Can't let that happen of course._

_Anyway, thanks again for the reviews!_


	3. Chapter 3

**_Sorry for the late update everyone! I had this chapter finished a long time ago, butwhen I reread it just before posting it, I found that the last part was, well, kinda lame. So I had to rewrite it, but didn't know how, nor had a lot of time. Chapter four will also come late, because I haven't written it, and I'm going on holiday until late August. I might write some then, maybe even be able to post, but don't count on it... Well, no more delays, here's chapter 3!_**

* * *

Days had passed. By this time, winter had fully come and the valley was covered in a thick layer of snow. Yet there was little happiness. No elflings playing out in the snow, no-one enjoying the sunshine as it reflected from every tree and mountain. Those who had gone out, had seen Lady Arwen, daughter of Elrond, enter the Last Homely House. Not wasting a moment, she hurried to the room where her family spent most of their time. She stood in front of the door and there was the first hesitation. Did she dare see the one she loved in this state? He was, according to the guards, still unconscious. Though he was mostly healed in body, his mind was still far away, where her brothers and father couldn't reach him. What if she couldn't reach him either? Would the image she was about to see be her last memory of him? Did she dare? 

All these thoughts entered her mind in a matter of seconds. Quickly making up her mind that she did indeed dare, she slowly opened the door and entered. Her brothers and Legolas sat in comfortable arm-chairs and looked up when they heard her enter. But all Arwen saw, was the lifeless body lying in the bed. It almost looked as if he was asleep. Except for the paleness of his face, he looked healthy.

She approached the bed and sat down in the chair Legolas had emptied for her. Grabbing Aragorn's hand, she whispered, "Estel, my love, where are you? You are not where you should be. Please, come back to your family, for you are sorely missed."

She closed her eyes and focused on locating Aragorn's soul. She did not see her brothers, who glanced at each other, both hoping that their sister would bring him back. Nor did she hear Elrond enter the room, who surveyed the scene with a mixture of emotions: hope that she would find Estel, and despair at the love that would take away his daughter. She was aware, however, of all of them, including Legolas, giving her the power of mind and the strength to continue her search.

* * *

It was so peaceful here. Beautiful meadows, bordering magnificent forests, both with plenty of little brooks and springs. Animals of all shapes and sizes prancing across the land with not a care in the world. He had been exploring this place for a while now - he didn't know how long it was; time didn't seem to follow ordinary rules here - and he felt as free as the deer and squirrels. 

No threats from evil and foul creatures - did those really exist anyway? - no pain, sorrow or fear, no darkness; it was truly a magnificent place. He didn't want to leave ever again.

He didn't know exactly who he was, but he felt as if he belonged in this place. This place was all he had ever known. Yet he missed something. He couldn't quite grasp what it was, but there was a small piece missing that he yearned for.

There! There it was! That feeling that he missed. He felt it for just a moment, and then it was gone. A curious part of his mind told him to search for that feeling again and to reach for it. He closed his eyes and concentrated.

After a few seconds - was it only seconds or longer? - he felt it again. A brush of someone's mind, connected to his.

"Estel…" he heard someone whisper. A face entered his mind's eye. A beautiful elf with long black hair and soft lips. He thought he knew her.

"Estel!" he heard again. This time it were two voices, and with it, two identical faces, also with dark hair.

"Aragorn." A deeper voice, along with the face of an older elf, the sight of which comforted him a lot.

"Strider?" A fifth voice, soft and musical. He waited for a face to appear, but it didn't. He tried to remember who these voices and faces belonged to and why they seemed to call three different people. The harder he tried to remember, the more his head started to hurt. But that was strange; pain didn't exist in this place. Did that mean he was leaving? He wasn't ready to leave, there was still so much to explore.

Fighting his way back to the meadows, he heard the first voice again. "Estel, I feel you are here. Please, return to us, my love."

Who is this Estel? Why doesn't he answer her? In fact, 'Aragorn' and 'Strider' hadn't replied either when called.

He felt a strange tug at his mind when he remembered her last words. 'My love'. Love. That was what he missed. There were people he loved out there. There was no love here, only peace.

Once he realised this, memories started to come back, and with it, the pain. He knew now that he was the one the voices called for. He was Estel. And Aragorn. And Strider. The pain was becoming unbearable. But he would endure it for the people he loved.

* * *

He knew he was back when he heard the voices again. This time they weren't vague, floating voices, but voices that belonged to bodies. They tried to coax him into waking. He tried to open his eyes to see his family, but was in too much pain to succeed. 

"Easy, my son," said the deep voice. Elrond's voice, a clearer part of his brain supplied. "Drink this and rest. When you wake up again, you will feel much better."

Aragorn felt a cup being pressed against his lips and wondered if this was a good idea. But the overwhelming pain, and the feeling that he could trust this person, convinced him that it was perhaps for the best to do as he was told. So he drank the potion and in his condition it took but a few seconds to send him into a deep, dreamless sleep.

* * *

Legolas watched as Strider - Estel - descended back into unconsciousness. He looked different now. His cheeks showed a little more colour. The slight movement of his fingers and the shifting of eyes beneath eyelids were evidence that the man's body was once again inhabited and no longer an empty shell as it had been these past days. 

The day after they had arrived in Rivendell, Legolas had taken it upon himself to return the two horses that had served them so faithfully, along with gifts of gratitude from the elves.

Fëasúl and Adrûth had gone back to Mirkwood before the snow blocked the pass through the mountains. The Rivendell elves had heeded the warning and Lord Elrond had sent scouts out to investigate the activity of orcs and other dark creatures. If there was indeed some evil lurking in the mountains or surrounding areas, orc activity would reflect that somewhat.

Legolas had remained behind, partly to help from this side of the Misty Mountains, partly because he worried about the human. The latter part he had only confessed to Fëasúl and had made him vow not to tell his father, King Thranduil. Both he and Adrûth would not understand, for they hated humans as much as Legolas had, before this happened.

"He will sleep until tomorrow morning," said Elrond. Legolas looked up to see that the others were still anxious, but also showed some relief in their eyes. "Rest now, for the coming weeks you will all need to be strong for Estel."

The twins and Arwen nodded, but made no move to leave the room. They would rest here, as the twins had done all these weeks. So would Legolas. Elrond did leave the room, reluctantly, for he, as Lord of Imladris, still had duties to fulfil. He knew the four young elves would warn him immediately should Estel's condition change.

* * *

The fog surrounding Aragorn's mind was slowly fading away. He listened to the familiar sounds of the waterfalls, the birds and the rustling of leaves as a soft breeze filled the valley. He also heard the soft breathing of three, no four, elves nearby. A hand – Arwen's hand – was holding onto his. He opened his eyes to see his beloved, but started when he remembered he was blind. He felt Arwen's hand lightly squeeze his, as she woke up to his sudden movement. 

"Welcome back, my love," she said. A kiss on his forehead accompanied the words.

"Estel? Ah, brother, it is good to see you awake again. You really worried us this time." Aragorn felt the comforting touch of Elladan's hand on his shoulder.

The man heard the younger twin talking softly to someone near the doorway, most likely to send for their father. He wondered who the fourth elf was, since it couldn't be Elrond. Then he remembered the fifth voice he had heard in the 'meadows'. The faceless one. Legolas.

Soft footsteps told him that Elrond had arrived. "How do you feel, _ion nîn_," he asked. "Do you have any pain?"

"No," said Aragorn. Or at least he tried to say it. What came out was an unidentifiable croak.

A cup was placed against his lips. "It is just water," said Elladan, before Aragorn could voice his complaints.

Aragorn took in a small amount of water and let it moisten his mouth before swallowing what was left of it.

"How do you feel?" asked Elrond again.

"I feel fine," the man answered. He could almost see the exasperated looks on the elves' faces. They've all heard him say that before. Before they could say anything he continued, "my head still throbs, but not nearly as badly as yesterday and…" he hesitated. It only felt to him as if only two days had passed since he was brought to Rivendell, but his dry mouth and empty stomach told him otherwise. "How long has it been?"

"You have been unconscious for a week," said Elrond. "You had us worried greatly, for we feared you would never wake."

"I very nearly didn't," said Aragorn quietly, remembering the peaceful meadows.

"We're glad that you did. Now let me see your eyes."

The elf held Aragorn's head as he inspected the human's eyes. He used a small candle to observe whether the pupils still reacted to light. After that, he took a small piece of cotton and with the other hand, moved to keep Aragorn's eyelids open. As his fingers approached the eyes, Aragorn involuntarily blinked.

"That is strange," said Elrond, after finishing the examination.

"What is it, _ada_?" asked Aragorn.

"I see nothing wrong with your eyes that could cause the blindness; the reflexes also work as they should. However, the strange thing is that even though you could not see it, you reacted to the movement of my fingers as they approached your eyes. I have never seen that before in a blind person."

"I have." Aragorn recognised the voice as Legolas'. "When we were in Oramon. An orc attacked Estel when he was disabled, yet when the sword came down, Estel raised his own to block the blow."

"I remember," said Aragorn. "My head was pounding and I couldn't hear a thing, but something made me move my arm upwards. I still don't know how that happened."

Elrond reassuringly placed his hand on top of Aragorn's head. "I will find out what it is, I promise you. Now rest."

"_Ada_, I am not tired. I want to be outside and feel the beauty of nature now that I cannot see it." He remembered the beauty of the meadows and needed to reassure himself that even though he can't see it, the beauty is still here.

Elrond sighed. This happened every time one of his sons was injured. They just didn't want to stay in bed and rest. If he didn't let Aragorn go outside, he would find a way to escape anyway, blind or not. And the twins would gladly help him do it. And remembering the closeness of Legolas and the twins, the prince would not hesitate to help the twins in their own mission.

"Alright, but listen to your body and mind when they tell you to rest. I will be in my study."

* * *

Aragorn was guided to a bench in the gardens by both his brothers, one on each side, followed by Arwen and Legolas. The man sat down and audibly sighed as he took in the smells of the pine trees, the only trees still wearing green; and the sounds of the birds as they chattered to each other. The weak winter sun warmed his face, as the chilly breeze fought to cool it down again. 

They all sat in silence as Aragorn relaxed. Arwen wrapped a warm blanket around his shoulders. A smile graced the ranger's lips as one of the birds landed on his leg and sang to him. For half an hour, no one moved, and no one spoke. They allowed nature's healing powers soothe the man's mind.

"Estel," Arwen said at last, "let us go inside, you are weary."

"Aye, I am," admitted Aragorn. "But I do not wish to leave this place. It feels safe out here."

"What is it, my love?"

"I…" Aragorn hesitated. "I don't know what to do anymore. How can I… How can I join the rangers and lead them if I cannot even lead myself? How can I protect those in need, even the ones I love?"

Neither Arwen nor the twins spoke, for they did not know the answers. It was Legolas' clear voice that repelled the silence.

"I once had a friend who was blinded by orc poison. He coped exceptionally well and soon joined us again on our adventures. He died several hundred years later, but he gave his life saving many others from wargs and orcs. He enjoyed every minute of his life and protected many others. He has also saved my life numerous times. Not all is lost. Give it time and see where it goes."

"Legolas is right, Estel," said Elladan. "We don't know whether it is permanent, but even if it is, we will help you through this. You are not alone; we'll be here to make sure you are able to do the things you are destined to do."

Aragorn stayed silent as he thought this over. He still felt helpless, but a tiny speck of hope had found its way to his heart. He sighed and nodded, accepting the help of his family.

* * *

Elrond stood in the doorway to Estel's room. His human son was still sleeping as his elven daughter held his hand. She noticed Elrond and gave him a small, hopeful smile. She turned back to Estel as he stirred to awakening. 

"Arwen?"

"Aye, _ada_ is here also."

"_Ada_?" Once again, hope was directed at the older elf.

Elrond walked up to the bed and sat down on the edge. He took Estel's other hand. "I don't know for certain, but I believe your blindness is caused by the blow to your head. It is speculated that the visual processing takes place in the back part of the brain, thus damage there could mean that signals don't get through."

"But what of his reactions to movement? How can that happen if he cannot see?" said Arwen, hoping that her father was somehow wrong.

"A human reference book written millennia ago tells about a man who had to have all of his brain removed except for his brainstem. He still lived; the brainstem seemed to take care of only the most primal parts of living. He did react to objects moving toward him. If the moving thing was big, the man would show fleeing reactions; if it was small thing, he would grab it. My guess is, the same type ofreaction overcame you, Estel. The signal from your eyes was transmitted to your brainstem, only your instincts were trained in such a way, that you didn't run, nor grab the sword, but moved to protect yourself."

"Will… will I ever be able to see again?" Aragorn anxiously squeezed his father's hand.

"I cannot tell for sure. I am certain some of the damage will heal, but I do not know to what extent, or how much of your sight will return." Elrond returned the squeeze, trying to relay whatever comfort he could give through touch. "Elladan and Elrohir are still combing through the library, with the aid of Legolas. If there's anything there that can help, we'll find it." With a stroke through Aragorn's hair, the elf stood up and went to the library to resume his search.

Arwen watched as Aragorn tried to come to terms with the news. She could see it hit him hard.

"Arwen, could you give me some time alone?" came the soft whisper.

"Yes, I can. But remember that we will help you through this. You are not alone." She understood that Aragorn didn't want anyone to see the emotions he was going through. He didn't want to show any weakness. She would grant his wish for now, but she would return to give him comfort when he needed it. She would tell him it was not a weakness, but now was not the time. A kiss on his head, and she also left the room.

* * *

**Chapter three has also come to an end. You know, I never intended to have Arwen in this story. However, one day, a beautiful she-elf suddenly ran into Imladris and demanded that she had to be in it. She said that without her, Aragorn would never wake up. Naturally, I couldn't resist that, because what would this story be like if all Aragorn did was sleep the entire time. The story would be over now, had that been the case. Of course I received a dark glare from Elrond, who didn't want to deal with their love in this story. Well, that's his problem :-)**

**Thanks for all the reviews. Now I have the time to respond to the reviewers, since I don't have any exams this week :)**

_**Viggomaniac:** I'm glad you liked it. I think the reason behind the first chapter being a bit rushed was because I was all excited about starting my own story with all the ideas popping in my head that I wanted to write it all down immediately. After a while, things settled down a bit I guess.  
I think if Aragorn knew about all those angst-stories, he'd take out his darkest ranger clothes and hide in the darkest corners, but with a laptop and internet, so he can read all of them anyway :) Of course he'll be snickering every time Legolas gets hurt, but not too loudly, someone might hear him..._

_**sielge:** Yep, they've arrived at home safely. Well, at least without any warg/orc attacks on the way. Should've put one in, it could've been fun :) Ah, never mind, there'll be enough attacks in this story._

_**QueenofFlarmphgal: **The human mind is a strange thing. We love to see our favourite characters get hurt, but (very very fortunately) we don't like to see those things happen to the ones we love in the real world. Except for a few truly deranged beings maybe... I think we like it because we admire the way they handle the pain (or we make them handle the pain). It shows how tough and courageous they are. I mean, we wouldn't like it if like(grown-up) Aragorn gets hurt, runs to Elrond crying: "Daddy, daddy, the bad warg bit me, make him go away! Whaaaah!". No, we like it when he kills the warg, and many others, saves 20 humans and a certain elf in the process, all while he's close to death. And when he's carried home by said elf, he has to save them at least three more times, showing his true valour. That's what appeals to us. I think... Enough philosophy, I hope you enjoyed this chapter too!_

_**Elessar-Lover:** Thanks for adding the story to your alerts! Updates have been fairly quick these first few chapters, but I'm not sure whether the others will follow that fast. But with all the enthusiastic reviews, I'm determined to finish this story in a reasonable amount of time._

_**neofilly:** I promise the elf will get hurt. Eventually... ;) I've cleared the darkness as to why Estel's blind, but I'll leave the man himself in darkness a bit longer. If I ever let him out... /evil grin/_

_**wren:** I'll make sure you get what you want. I don't want this story to be so unbalanced that after 20 fights Aragorn is near death and everyone else doesn't even have a scratch; it wouldn't make sense :)_

_**Aranna Undomiel:** I do know about most medical things I write about, but I must admit that I haven't strictly followed the rules in this story. "Cortical blindness", as Estel's condition is called, does exist, but I have no idea whether it can follow from a severe blow to the head. Also, the reflexes to movement exist, but I don't think they can get integrated in trained instincts, such as raising a sword to block an oncoming object. So I also use a good deal of imagination to make it more interesting, even if at the cost of medical accuracy._

_**Fluffy's fangirls: **Yes, poor Aragorn. But considering what I have in store for him, he might just want to stay home and never get out again :)_

_**grumpy:** I think the hole in his head is the least of his worries. A few stitches,replace a few fragments of boneand voilà, hole's closed:) I could've given him a nice infection, but it's too late for that, I think. After a week he should be infection free... too bad._

_**Wolf Maid: **The Aragorn-Legolas thing will get more interesting if I can put my newest idea into words /grins/. I'll give you a hint. It has something to do with an arrow. It'll probably come up in the next chapter, or else the one after that. As to Aragorn being alright in the end... I'll have to think about it :P_

_**A. NuEvil:** I have actually toyed with the idea of a guide dog, but I realised a dog probably wouldn't be much of a match for, say, a warg. I'd have to kill him off in the first attack on Aragorn, and that would break my heart... Sooo, how capable are you in battle:P I am thinking about a replacement, a horse maybe, but I'm not sure if I'll put it in._

**_Bill the Pony2:_**_ /munches on cookie/ Thanks for the compliment. Hopefully I'll keep improving. I did notice a really stupid paragraph right before I wanted to post this chapter, so I decided to rewrite it, placing a bit that I intended for chapter 4 in it. That's why it took so long to post this..._

_**greeneyedelf001: **I'm glad you love it :) I certainly loved writing it. Thanks for putting me on your favs and alert lists!_

**_To everyone who put me on their story/author alerts/favs lists: THANK YOU VERY MUCH!_**


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